Monument record MDR991 - Cross Low barrow (possible destroyed), Cross Low, Eaton and Alsop

On September 9 1843 Thomas Bateman opened 'a remarkable barrow' at Cross Lowe, near Parwich. He states that it had every appearance of being a small tumulus, about three feet in height; but was found to have been constructed above a depression in the rock, about two feet deep,thus increasing the height of the artificial structure to five feet'. When Bateman opened the south side of the tumulus,a rough cist was discovered with contained an inhumation and a small urn. The cist also contained rat's bones, one horse's tooth, the fragment of a celt, and a small piece of chipped flint. Near the skeleton's feet were the cremation of two children accompanied by a ornamented urn. A further skeleton of a young person accompanied by a small urn, or incense cup was discovered just on the exterior of the cist when a large stone forming a wall of the cist was removed. Four more human skeletons were found on the same level and all appeared to have been deposited at the same time as the body within the cist. Near the surface of the tumulus was another skeleton without any apparent artefacts. Upon excavation of the north side, a secondary deposit of a young person accompanied by a small urn and a bone pin were found. (1) The Food Vessel found with the inhumation within the cist was of Manby's type 4, whilst the urn with the cremations was of type 3(ii) and the other vessel was type 3(iii). (2, 4) Barnatt considers this barrow now to be destroyed or lost and notes that the fact that Bateman does not mention the rocky ridge suggests it was probably located away from the other two barrows [SMR 4805 and 4806], elsewhere on Cross Low Farm, and probably to the east or north-east of the other two sites . (8)